It had taken Blazing Legend a whole fortnight to collect enough interest and supplies in order to return to the frigid mountain tops of Equestria's untamed north in order to determine once and for all that the Crystal Empire had indeed returned. From his own personal experience he did not doubt the fact for even a moment, but for others it had been quite the pill to swallow., and a cloud of doubt now rest upon his qualifications. So with even his reputation at stake, Blaze was overjoyed to have companions in order to bear witness to his discovery, even if that meant he had to lug around their dead weight the entire time. But it would be worth it, he just new that it had to be!

The heavy slam of his small Canterlot-based studio heralded the arrival of his travelling companions, or quite possibly a sponsor who's making a last minute decision to endorse the expedition. In either case it didn't matter to the burgundy stallion, for he still had plenty of articles to pack away into his bulking saddlebags, and Blaze simply couldn't be bothered to care about anything else at the moment.

"Hello?" a masculine voice calls out after a flutter of feathers make short work of any dampness left over from the early morning's showers. "I know you're in there Mr. Legend, and my employer's will not stand your tardiness in regards to their sponsorship any longer, so you better get out here right this instant!"

Blaze recognized the voice, it was that of an employee of a local crystal mining company who worked a desk job there when he wasn't delivering messages. It was obvious that this particular sponsor needed to be accommodated more urgently than his bags needed to be packed, so Mr. Legend left his bags in their rut, and left to speak with the suit wearing Pegasus. "I'll be right there."

The two begin talking about the specifics of the sponsorship, and for exactly what Blazing Legend was to be paid for. Though the terms didn't seem all that agreeable to Blazing, as an argument between the two soon broke out. Loud shouts about the environment, economics, and morality soon broke through the oaken gate that now separated Blazing from his beloved, and into the nearby streets to meet the ears of the companions who were beginning to make their way to the studio in order to embark on their trek through Equestria.

"Legends told of an wondrous city made of pure crystal, who's supposed vanishing has led to it being commonly believed to be an old mare's tail. But when a burgundy stallion comes into town swearing upon everything of value he had that the Crystal Empire was in fact real and had returned, you can't help but wonder if the old tails of the Empire's vast wealth and beauty were true, or at least you were a very stubborn skeptic who was hellbent on proving the stallion wrong. In either case, you agree's to follow the stallion back to the most northern regions of Equestria in order to see for yourself whether or not the Crystal Empire had in fact returned.

There are no longer any roads leading to the supposed resting place of the legendary city-state, and the wilds have become dense and riddled with dangers. There is no telling what could be lying in wait within the shadows, nor what could be sitting just beyond the next hill. So prepare yourself for adventure, because Crystal Empire or not, life's about the journey."

I'm rather new to this community and just felt compelled to get in and do something to contribute.

Rules are going to be pretty standard with the additions of not abusing Pegasus Flight or Unicorn Magic in order to bypass every obstacle you come across. I'm also going to be very lenient on player driven story, as I am not very good at creating concrete story-lines for RP's.

Recruitment sheet:

Name:

Species:

Physical Description:

Brief Bio:

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this, and especially to anyone who decides to participate.

Now for my character!

Name: Blazing Legend

Species: Earth Pony

Physical Description: Blaze is a larger earth pony, with a burgundy coat and brown mane. His emerald eyes starkly contrast the more modest tones of his coat and mane, but they are nonetheless far from unsettling as they sparkle with the ambitions of a young stallion who's world is his oyster.

Brief Bio: Born and raised as a gatherer in a remote part of Equestria, Blaze left home for Canterlot after discovering his undoubted knack for cartography and geography in general. After getting a fair number of degree's under his belt, Blaze set up shop in a small downtown building and began doing freelance cartography for the wealthiest patron's he could get in the door. Eventually finding himself atop the norther front, Blaze was astonished to discover a crystalline city on the horizon, and dashed home to let everypony know.

Roleplay Area: FFAName: Match Stick Sex: MaleAge: StallionSpecies: UnicornEye Color: OrangeSkin Color: Dark GreyMane/Tail Color & Style: Match Stick's mane/tail colors are a fiery mixture of yellow and red. They flow gently and uniformly into a sharp upward point at the front and rear, creating the look of a small flame.Physique: Match is fairly average in build, though his cheeks are far more defined and he bears a slightly higher muscle mass than most unicorns.Cutie Mark: A lit match blazons the young stallions flank, giving false testament, alongside his appearance, to the role he plays and his true talent. Match's talent is encouraging and empowering his colleges, igniting their courage and their passions alongside the augmentation of their magical abilities via his Mana Well.Residence: CanterlotOccupation: Royal Guard

Personality:
Match Stick is a courageous young stallion who is no more intrepid than any vermin scurrying along the ground. Knowing that only fools live without fear, and only cowards are controlled by it; he bears his fear as one would their sadness and is quick to be rid himself of the tethers of cowardice when his fears would otherwise prevent action. His head is full of fantasies of heroism and the tales of those who aspired and attained before him the greatness that he strives to achieve. Match leans on these tales and legends for support when his courage alone cannot overcome his fears, and he is quick to relay them to others in need of the assistance. Good natured and loyal to the crown, Match Stick is happiest when using his talents in the help of others, and can become sickly depressed if left alone.

History:
Match Stick was brought up on the stories of the Royal Guard and other heroic figures, and quickly became quit the egghead on the subject. He could often be found running about his father Cinnamon Swirl's bakery with a pot on his head and a spatula in his mouth in order to better protect the cookies from the dastardly villain who kept eating them all (It was him). These childish exploits poured into his school play, often disrupting more than just his class' recess. Though as time went on and he grew out of his trouble making, his magical abilities didn't manifest as soon as he had wanted, and he was in the shrinking minority of his peers who had not yet bloomed.

Soon the young colt found himself as the last remaining unicorn among his peers who had not found their full magical powers, that being beyond the simple telekinesis that all unicorns have an aptitude towards, and even sooner he became the subject of mockery and harassment. Match became very depressed and introvertive from the constant bullying, eventually refusing to leave even his room in order to greet guests and former friends.

Then one day while he was begrudgingly assisting his father in the kitchen, Match couldn't get the furnace to light for the life of him. So he decided to try using unicorn magic instead. To his surprise, his magic did in fact ignite the stove, but the fire swiftly grew far beyond the limits of the simple stove, and fire soon consumed the entire area. Him and his father were lucky enough to be on the bottom floor, but Starchaser was still upstairs working on a paper for tomorrows lecture. Match pleaded with Cinnamon to go back after her, but the cowardly father did all but refuse the request, saying that it wouldn't do any good. But Match Stick continued to plea, and eventually ended up walking straight back towards the fire engulfed building, intent of saving his mother all by himself. Cinnamon couldn't help but be swayed by Match's bravery, and ran ahead of him into the flame, retrieving his mother, and receiving only light burns for his troubles.

That event changed Match Stick, and in more ways than one. He was granted his cutie mark and magic even though had no way of knowing what the former truly meant, nor how to control the latter. Any further attempts at using his magic beyond levitation, lead to catastrophe as the spells would quickly swell in magnitude as if they were balloons being filled by a tank of compressed air. This lead to an even deeper state of self contempt for Match Stick, as he now had a reason to be feared by all who dared approach him.

Match was eventually swayed out of his rut by one of Starchaser's students who had given him good advice, and encouraged him to not give up and to follow his dreams and ambitions to wherever they may lead him. Now ignited once more, Match stick set out to join the guard and discover who he really is.

Match Stick possesses a powerful Mana Well, a rare phenomenon in which a Unicorn has a greatly enlarged capacity for magical energy, or Mana. This rare gift is a double edged sword as it makes Match's natural magic next to uncontrollable without siphoning off the extra energies to other magic users, or through burning off the extra energy via a continual flame at the tip of his horn for however long he spends casting spells. When the energy is siphoned off to other unicorns it acts as an overcharge that can empower their natural magic, as well as a direct link that allows spells to be cast in unison to devastating effect. Match is among a rare breed, and many would give anything to acquire him as an asset and break to into his mana well for their own nefarious means.

Greetings to all who happen to read this, and even a couple who don't. I am mostly an RP'er, though I do fairly basic vector art when the inspiration comes my way, and I'm real hopeful for the structured qualities that the LoE thread brings along, though a bit of FFA never hurt anypony. I'm glad to see all the friendly fa...avatars, and am simply overjoyed with the prospect of joining this community.